Exodus 19
1 Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
In the third month after the people of Israel had gone out from the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
2 They had set out from Rephidim, and after they entered the Sinai desert they camped there in front of the mountain.
After they left Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, they camped in the wilderness in front of the mountain.
3 Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord spoke to Moses from the mountain, and told him, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites:
Moses went up to God. Yahweh called to him from the mountain and said, “You must tell the house of Jacob, the people of Israel:
4 ‘You saw for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, how I brought you to myself.
You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
5 Now if you really obey what I say and keep the agreement with me, then out of all the nations you will be a special people that belong to me. While the whole world is mine,
Now then, if you obediently listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.
6 for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
You will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for me. These are the words that you must speak to the people of Israel.”
7 So Moses went back down and summoned the elders of the people, and presented to them everything the Lord had ordered him to say.
So Moses came and summoned the elders of the people. He set before them all these words that Yahweh had commanded him.
8 Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
All the people answered together and said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has said.” Then Moses came to report the people's words to Yahweh.
9 The Lord told Moses, “Look! I'm going to come to you in a thick cloud so the people will hear me speaking with you and as a result they will always trust you.” Then Moses reported to the Lord what the people had said.
Yahweh said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you forever.” Then Moses told the people's words to Yahweh.
10 The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people. Today and tomorrow you must set them apart to me, and make them wash their garments.
11 and be ready on the third day because that is when the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai in the full view of everyone.
Be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down to Mount Sinai.
12 Set up a boundary for the people all around and warn them, ‘Watch out! Don't try to go up the mountain—don't even touch it! For anyone who touches the mountain will most certainly be killed. Don't touch any person or any animal that has touched the mountain.
You must set boundaries all around the mountain for the people. Say to them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death.'
13 Make sure they are stoned or shot with arrows—they must not be allowed to live.’ Only when there is a long blast on the ram's horn can the people come up the mountain.”
No one's hand must touch such a person. Instead, he must certainly be stoned or shot. Whether it is a person or an animal, he must be put to death. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may come up to the foot of the mountain.”
14 Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He set apart the people to Yahweh and they washed their garments.
15 He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
He said to the people, “Be ready on the third day; do not go near your wives.”
16 When morning came on the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud covered the mountain. There was the very loud sound of a ram's horn, and everyone in the camp shook with fear.
On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunder and lightning bolts and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud trumpet. All the people in the camp trembled.
17 Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 Smoke poured out over the whole of Mount Sinai because the Lord's presence had come down like fire. The smoke rose up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook furiously.
Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because Yahweh descended on it in fire and smoke. The smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
19 As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a voice.
20 The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and he summoned Moses to the top. So Moses went up.
21 and the Lord told him, “Go back down, and warn the people not to force their way across the boundary to try to come to the Lord or they will die.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to me to look, or many of them will perish.
22 Even the priests, who come before the Lord, must prepare themselves spiritually, so that the Lord does not punish them.”
Let the priests also who come near to me set themselves apart—prepare themselves for my coming—so that I do not attack them.”
23 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us, ‘Set up a boundary around the mountain, and treat it as holy.’”
Moses said to Yahweh, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you commanded us: 'Set boundaries around the mountain and set it apart to Yahweh.'”
24 The Lord told him, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way to come up to the Lord, or he will punish them.”
Yahweh said to him, “Go, get down the mountain, and bring up Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people break through the barrier to come up to me, or I will attack them.”
25 So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.
